The present invention relates to food grinding devices and, more particularly, to large peppermills of the type commonly used in restaurants.
In restaurants, it is customary for the waiter to dispense freshly ground pepper from a large peppermill on the order of 10 inches to as much as 24 inches long, which enables the waiter to center the working end of the peppermill over the center of the food to be seasoned, without reaching unduly over the food or over the patrons seated at a table. Conventional restaurant peppermills have several disadvantages. Peppermills which are in constant use require frequent refilling with peppercorn kernels, a chore which is disdained by waiters and busboys alike. Pouring the peppercorn kernels from a container into the comparatively narrow orifice provided in the peppermill often results in kernels being spilled onto the floor, which not only results in waste, but also requires cleanup. Furthermore, constant use of the peppermills results in clogging of the grinding surfaces in the peppermills, which impairs performance and requires disassembly of the peppermills for wire brushing and cleaning. Taking a peppermill apart and putting it back together again requires some skill, in addition to tools such as screwdrivers. Sometimes, both a Philips type screw and a slotted screw are used by a peppermill manufacturer. In addition to all of the foregoing is the need to replace the entire peppermill because repeated use has deteriorated the grinding surfaces beyond use even though most of the peppermill is in good-as-new condition.
Faced with the foregoing obstacles, many restaurant proprietors end up with a number of peppermills which simply languish in the kitchen either worn out or in need of refilling or cleaning. Since they need operating peppermills, the proprietors often resort to the quick, though expensive, remedy of simply buying additional peppermills.
Although the problems described above pertain especially to the large peppermills used by waiters in restaurants, many of the same problems, such as the disassembly, filling, spilling and deterioration apply as well to smaller peppermills, such as those used in the home and those which might be provided on each table in a restaurant.